douglas roberts comcast obituary 2011

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"Ralph, the patient, unassuming gentleman, kept a steady hand on the wheel as they made a series of brilliant bets on the future," his son said in the biography. The elder Mr. Roberts kept the titles of chairman and chief executive. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Roberts witnessed the loss of his family's drugstore chain in the Depression and the death of his father to a heart attack in 1933, when he was 12. Ralph is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Mr. Roberts, typically dapper in his signature bow tie and Brooks Brothers suits, became his sons mentor and sounding board, and the two were admired as a potent business partnership while never displaying the kind of strained and tempestuous relationship that can flare when a son succeeds a successful father. "He was the greatest influence in my life and a joy for me to work side by side with for over three decades. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Nathan Scott, and his brother, Jonathan Scott. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. Roberts is survived by Suzanne Roberts, his wife of over 70 years and an actress, director and host of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne. Wife Suzanna died on April 20, 2020 age 98", Ralph J. Roberts, Comcast Corporation Founder and Chairman Emeritus, dies at age 95, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralph_J._Roberts&oldid=1141863531, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:20. PhillyVoice Contributor. But the elder Mr. Roberts has probably come as close as any company founder can to setting the stage for an orderly succession. . "Ralph served as a longtime member of the Penn Medicine board, and actively supported athletics, undergraduate financial aid, and his class." Comcast, a name Roberts coined from the words communications and broadcasting. The Roberts clan's equity stake in Comcast, based in Philadelphia, is worth at least $470 million without a premium, and once the patriarch and his wife pass from the scene, there is no guarantee the heirs won't hurl themselves into a fierce battle for the spoils. I knew a lot of people at Comcast. At one point, Ralph Roberts met with Mr. Immelt without Brian Roberts. Would you like to offer Douglas A. Robertss loved ones a condolence message? To make it work, you have to have motivated, competent successors as well as accommodating heirs. It also sells those services to businesses. Growing up with five kids competing for attention, it's not easy, but he put his family first. Once the elder Mr. Roberts is out of the picture at Comcast, Wall Street will be watching closely to see whether the son can be as tough and decisive as his father. "His legacy is that he left a big, vibrant company, that is led by his son, that will live on for many, many years," Comcast executive Steve Burke said. In later years, he did so with his son Brian L. Roberts, to whom he turned over the companys presidency in 1990 when Brian was 30 years old. In addition to his wife, son, and daughter, Mr. Roberts is survived by daughter Catherine R. Clifton; son Ralph Jr.; and eight grandchildren. "The amazing genius of my father is that there was not a one-size-fits-all for parenting. He loved my mother and my entire family so much. I didn't want it to appear that he was just his father's son.''. ''The children -- the family -- have continual discussions,'' he said during an interview in which he was joined by Brian, dressed like his father in a gray suit, black loafers, a white button-down shirt and red print tie. In his leisure time, on which Mr. Roberts insisted, he rode horses, foxhunted, and enjoyed his family. father . The Roberts family said in a statement: "Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people. "We would have dinner as a family. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. [11] Her name appears on the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia and she hosted a TV program aimed at seniors called "Seeking Solutions with Suzanne" on Comcast's CN8 network. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. Penn honored him in 2005 with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa. Though his father called Comcast a family business, Brian was the only one of the children to show a serious interest in working with his father. He credits his mother for pulling the family through hard times. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Though many aging entrepreneurs resist relinquishing power despite all their promises to do so, Comcast has begun notifying local cable commissions of the pending change of control, which Ralph Roberts said would be no later than early next year. ''She had a lot of friends, and she decided to go into the insurance business, and everybody she knew bought a policy from her the first year to keep us going,'' he said. He had resided in Leesburg for the past two years. Less than $5 per month Doug graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and went on to attend Hobart School of Welding. Over the last five years, it has brought in a younger team of senior executives to work with Brian, including the executive vice president, Larry Smith, 49; the senior treasurer, John Alchin, 49, and the president of the cable division, Tom Baxter, 50. After Brian received an undergraduate business degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1981, Ralph Roberts tried to steer him to another company, where he would have to fight his own battles. He never told me anything I wanted to do at Comcast was a bad idea, and after more than 30 years, youd think Ive had a lot of bad ideas.. Their simple philosophy was summed up by Mr. Roberts in an interview with The New York Times in 2007. The culture of Comcast was important to him.". Ralph J. Roberts. In 1963, the year he founded the company, he created Comcast class B shares, of which there are 8.8 million, each with 15 votes. ", Mayor Nutter called Mr. Roberts a "consummate gentleman, kind and gentle husband and father, and a great business leader.". Mr. Immelt was aware that many deals dont get concluded, the elder Mr. Roberts was quoted as saying in The Incredible Dream, a 2012 biography by William Novak, and he wanted some reassurance from the father of the groom that we wouldnt let this opportunity slip through our fingers.. Douglas Scott was born April 8,1958 to Joe Nathan Scott and Mona (nee Page) Scott. He died on June 18, 2015, of natural causes. Genealogy for Douglas Roberts (1960 - 2011) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. It is the mother who will make it work. He never pressured any of them to join the family company -- and none besides Brian showed any interest in doing so. Suzanne Roberts. "You could tell Ralph was crazy about Brian, and Brian was crazy about him. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. In February 2013, Comcast paid $16.7 billion to purchase the remaining stake in NBCUniversal. The elder Mr. Roberts has made sure that each of Brian's siblings will retain an economic stake in Comcast equal their brother's. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Brian Roberts said his parents tried to make life stimulating and eye-opening for their children. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. He was a gentle soul with an infectious spirit who will be greatly missed. When I think of Ralph, it is always with the utmost affection.". Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. Inquirer staff writer Harold Brubaker and former staff writer Thomas J. Brady contributed to this article. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. January 6, 1955 - Before he founded Comcast, Roberts was president and CEO of Pioneer Industries, a leading mens clothing accessories company, vice president of Muzak Corp. and an account executive with Aitken Kynett Advertising Agency, according to his company biography. But they talk all the time. He was born on January 6, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, the son of Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine (Boyce) Thompson. Funeral Home website by. I believe the reason we are still in this business when so many others have long since departed was his will to succeed, and to do it with certain core values and integrity. The company is clearly planning for the day that Ralph Roberts will no longer be running the show. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Douglas A. Roberts of Mount Carmel, Illinois, born in Tampa, Florida, who passed away on May 2, 2021, at the age of 66, leaving to mourn family and friends. [6], Roberts served on the boards of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Brandywine River Museum, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, and the PENN Medicine Board of Trustees. ''Ralph is tough,'' he says ruefully. Blogs; Online will; Shop. Comcast is also one of the largest residential telephone providers in the United States. The fundamental fact is that people love television, he said, and if you can provide them with more television, they love it even more.. A Visitation will be held on Friday, March 3 from 10 am - 12 pm at Drake and Son Funeral Home, 5303 North Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60625. Ralph J. Roberts, 95, the soft-spoken visionary who in 1963 bought a tiny subscriber-TV system in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast Corp., the nation's leading cable company, died Thursday night in Philadelphia. "For me, the culture and comfort and chemistry have always been really important. Brian Roberts came to know Mr. Gates when a contingent of Comcast executives visited Microsoft on a fact-finding tour several years ago. The deal would have relegated Comcast, the biggest QVC shareholder, to be a minor, and passive, investor in CBS, and the elder Mr. Roberts wanted no part of that. In 1963, Mr. Roberts was a little-known entrepreneur who had sold Muzak systems and mens belts and suspenders, but he was ambitious and always scouting for new business opportunities. Like many media entrepreneurs, Ralph Roberts created several classes of stock, enabling him to issue equity without losing control. Obituary Roberts, Douglas David It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Douglas Roberts on August 1, 2013 at The Wellington Nursing Home in his 89th year. But as I began to look at what was happening, I realized the cable business was the best of all the ones I had invested in, and decided to go forward full boat.. Douglas A. Roberts, 66, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at his residence. Bob McGovern He sold it in 1961 to form his own venture capital firm, the International Equity Corporation, from which he began his foray into cable television. Douglas was born April 10, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. Mr. Roberts allowed himself an indulgence - the purchase of a farm in Chester County. [8] The Suzanne F. and Ralph J. Roberts Foundation was one of the largest contributors to the restoration of the Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia named in the honor of his father-in-law. '', That would have been a wrenching decision, as it almost invariably is for the founder of a company. Brian, born in 1959, was the fourth. "I have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. He has five children, aged 36 to 47. can stop at any time. [4] Roberts received awards from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the Walter Kaitz Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, The National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Urban League of Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement,[7] and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. '', See the article in its original context from. "He found the buttons to push.". In a statement, Mayor Michael Nutter remembered the business visionary and family man. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Let others know about your loved one's death. In a high-pressure corporate world that demands long hours from its executives, Mr. Roberts was proud to say that he was sure to be home for dinner with his wife and children nearly every night. Daughter Lisa said Mr. Roberts was an attentive father. But as Brian Roberts worked his way up the ladder, the halcyon 1980's came to an end. He and his wife, the former Suzanne Fleisher, restored it. Later, as a college student, he bought eggs from farms in New Jersey and peddled them to fraternities at a discount. If you have a small private business, and the old man has stashed away something under the floor, then it's very different.''. The memory of the fiasco still rankles Mr. Diller. He was. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. Soon after buying the Flyers, Mr. Roberts admitted that he had just seen his first hockey game. So he made his own bid for QVC, with TCI as a partner, effectively killing the CBS deal. And the other children, who declined to be interviewed, are said to be knowledgeable about the plan and favorable to it. He is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. ALL along, however, Mr. Roberts has drawn his son closer to the center of action inside Comcast and pushed him into the spotlight outside the company. Enter PHILADELPHIA-- ( BUSINESS WIRE )--Today we are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes last night in Philadelphia, PA. mother. in memory of Douglass Edward Roberts, please visit our floral store. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four of his children and their spouses: Catherine R. Clifton and Anthony A. Clifton, Lisa S. Roberts and David Seltzer, Ralph Roberts Jr. and Kim Roberts, Brian L. Roberts and Aileen K. Roberts and Diane Roberts, widow of Ralph and Suzannes son Douglas Roberts, who passed away in September 2011. In 1963, he and his partners, Daniel Aaron and Julian A. Brodsky, paid $500,000 for a 1,200-subscriber cable TV operator in Tupelo, Mississippi, called American Cable Systems. 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